(WFRV) – The Brown County Sheriff’s Office was certainly busy while the historic blizzard made its way through Wisconsin this past weekend, with officials saying they had 304 calls for service.
According to a release from the Brown County Sheriff’s Office, deputies and other emergency and essential personnel continued to work through the storm, ensuring safety and providing aid to those who needed it.
For what was a large part of the storm, the Sheriff’s Office had implemented a tow ban, which has since been lifted. Tow bans are said to be put into place during times of storms like these as a way to help protect first responders and public drivers while prioritizing that snowplows are able to more easily get out to plow the roadways.
Sights and sounds of historic Wisconsin snowstorm
In total, officials say the Brown County Sheriff’s Office responded to 304 calls for service from midnight on Sunday, March 15, through 5:00 p.m. on Monday, March 16, a 52% increase over the same period from a week ago.
Of the 304 calls to service, 70% of them are considered weather-related, including 193 motorist assistance calls, calls for vehicles stuck in the snow or drivers needing assistance, 14 crashes resulting in two injuries, and 6 hazards, including fallen trees and downed power lines.
Deputies report that there were times when the Sheriff’s Office’s standard squad cars were unable to respond to calls due to weather and bad road conditions. This led to heavy armored vehicles, which may have been seen at open houses and Packer games, being deployed to reach stranded motorists or responding to other locations.
I would like to commend the patrol deputies of the Brown County Sheriff’s Office for their dedication, resourcefulness, ingenuity, and unwavering commitment to the people of Brown County. Whether it’s a snowstorm or a sunny day, deputies patrol your neighborhoods, respond to calls, and provide help wherever they can.
The Brown County Sheriff’s Office would also like to recognize the efforts of the plow truck operators from the Brown County Highway Department and every municipality within Brown County, not only for their work during this snowstorm, but for their behind-the-scenes efforts that make our roadways traversable every day.
Captain John Rousseau
Captain Rousseau adds that on the bright side, throughout the entirety of this storm, the Sheriff’s Office saw neighbors helping neighbors, strangers stopping to help, and many more act of community resilience.
“It is because of that resilience that we can face a record-breaking winter storm without it becoming a disaster.”
